The Maiden and the Fox
by Marquise de Nile
Summary: AU. When love turns into pain, all trust is gone, and the demon is at the gates demanding its pound of flesh, is there still some hope for salvation? [For SSM 2019 Day 10: Fox's Wedding]
1. Chapter 1

_For SasuSaku Month 2019, Day 10: Fox's Wedding_

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**The Maiden and the Fox**

**Chapter 1**

**.**

In the times of peace, Konoha became a prosperous village filled with joy and laughter. Walking down a street you'd encounter many happy inhabitants. Just an hour ago, Haruno Sakura had been one of them.

Not anymore.

When she headed off to meet with Sasuke, she was almost skipping. She was going to confess her feelings to him. On the return, her gait turned into an unsteady shuffle, her shoulders slumped forward and head bent down as she stared at the ground through the pink hair covering her blotchy, wet face.

_There's no reason for me to love you and surely there's no reason for you to love me. It's impossible for anything to happen between us._

Sakura shuddered and sobbed, thinking about those cruel, damning words coming from his perfect lips. The rejection burned her so badly, it was rendering her soul apart. She really thought they were getting closer, that he was showing her interest that wasn't a mere courtesy, but came from a place of affection. Did she really imagine those covert glances he gave her when he thought she wasn't looking?

Stupid! Sasuke could never love her. She was so ashamed of herself for presuming that he would that she wished for the ground to swallow her up, never to be seen again.

And despite all the shame, the humiliation, the heartbreak, she still loved him with every fiber of her being, with every shard of her broken heart.

Sakura wiped her eyes and let out a choked laugh. She must be crazy. Or a masochist.

There was no hope in sight for her. The love for Sasuke was in her blood and she had no way to free herself from it. This pain was going to stay with her for the rest of her life and she couldn't even fathom how she'd be able to withstand it in the days to come.

Weeks turned into months, spring gave way to a summer, and Sakura still suffered. She didn't see Sasuke much, but every time she glimpsed his regal profile on the other side of the street, even his proud silhouette in the distance, a fresh torrent of pain took her breath away. Her heart throbbed and bled, while she gritted her teeth and carried on with her day, as if pretending she wasn't hurting would make it better somehow. She had nothing else.

There was no cure for unrequited love.

The worst blow came unexpectedly from the mouth of her best friend.

"Did you hear? Sasuke-kun is getting married!" Ino exclaimed with excitement when they saw each other one morning.

That was the final nail in the coffin. Sakura felt as if a poisoned arrow pierced straight through her chest. She was dealt a mortal wound. She smiled and nodded mechanically as Ino narrated the story of the upcoming Uchiha wedding, but on the inside she was completely numb.

For days after, Sakura contemplated what she should do. The last vestiges of hope she'd unknowingly harboured were now gone. Countless times she fantasized about dramatically stopping the wedding. "If anyone has cause to object to the forming of this union, speak now or forever hold your peace," the pries would say and she'd swoop in, declare her undying love and make Sasuke realize that he loved her back after all. Of course, in reality interrupting the ceremony would be inexcusable. Instead, she thought about a thousand times about going to him, then confessing again like a madwoman, as if repeating the same thing to him would somehow change his mind.

In the end, she did nothing.

Until something happened, a catastrophe so monumental that it shook the fundaments of the village's existence, threatening the peace and happiness of its inhabitants.

The Nine-Tailed Fox attacked Konoha.

The distant rumble was the first warning; then the quakes; then, bringing a storm like nothing the village elders had seen before, the raging beast came, burning down anything in its path—crops, cattle, and people.

Their leader, the Hokage, had gone to stop the monster before it entered the village walls. Whatever he'd said or done had been successful because the Demon Fox halted his rampage.

The Hokage returned with a grim look on his face and gathered the village assembly in the central square.

"I talked to the Nine-Tailed Fox," he announced.

"What did he say? Is he going to leave?" called the impatient voices from the crowd.

The Hokage raised his hand. "Let me speak." When they quieted, he continued. "The Fox agreed to leave Konoha in peace and without further damage, but on one condition."

"Well, what is it?!" someone shouted.

The Hokage took in a deep breath. "The Fox demands a human sacrifice. A virgin bride."

The crowd exploded into shouts of disbelief and fear, followed by loud protests. No young woman wanted to be picked, no one wanted to sacrifice their daughter, sister, niece, or friend.

"Before any of you ask if anyone else would do, the answer is no. I offered myself as a sacrifice, but the Fox didn't want me," the Hokage told them wryly. "I hate to do this, I really do. I swore to protect you all from harm. I can't in a good conscience pick one of the girls to do this, but we have until the dawn or the Fox will destroy Konoha. So I can only ask you to look at your friends and families, at the village we all love. Look into your hearts and make a decision that you feel is right."

A hand rose into the air, surprising everyone. It belonged to a long-haired, immaculately dressed stern man. He was one of the clan leaders—Hyuuga Hiashi. "I volunteer my daughter Hinata. Her sacrifice for the sake of Konoha will bring a great honour to the Hyuuga clan."

"Are you sure about this? This is your daughter you're talking about. You will never get her back," the Hokage warned.

Hiashi nodded. "I am certain," he said solemnly. "It is also a duty of the Hyuuga clan to protect Konoha."

"Very well."

Sakura watched as Hiashi pulled his daughter to come along with him to the Hokage. She looked deathly pale and her body was trembling, but no one was paying attention to her. Some people were already leading a relieved and cheery conversation, convinced that the danger was as good as gone. Sakura didn't know Hinata, she'd spoken to the girl less than a handful of times, but she had seen her around the village, shy and quiet and modest, always falling into the background. Now Hinata's pale lips quivered as she cast around pleading, wild looks. This was not how a willing sacrifice looked like. Sakura also knew from Ino's gossip about the strained relationship between Hinata and her father. It wasn't hard to infer that Hiashi jumped at the chance to honourably get rid of a daughter he considered unworthy of the Hyuuga name.

A spark of rage ignited in Sakura's chest and grew into a raging inferno. Before thinking of the consequences, she yelled out on the top of her lungs, "Wait!"

People turned to look at her in surprise. She stepped forward, eyes solely on the Hokage. "You don't have to take Hinata. Take me! I volunteer!"

"It's already decided. Hinata volunteered first," Hiashi interjected with a frown.

"I didn't hear her saying that. You volunteered her, Hyuuga-san. Hinata didn't say anything at all," Sakura rebuffed, an icy calm overtaking her, then she turned to the Hokage. "Surely I'm a better option? I made this choice on my own, without any coercion. And I guarantee that I am untouched. If someone has to be sacrificed, then pick me, not her."

Hiashi glared at her with his unsettling milky white eyes. "You dare to rob my clan of the honour-"

"Enough," the Hokage cut him off. "Are you certain? You have a whole life ahead of you," he told Sakura gently.

She gave a sharp, decisive nod. "I will do this."

The Hokage turned to address the assembly again, when she spotted Sasuke standing next to his father. Sakura averted her gaze almost instantly and put a hand over her twisting, tearing heart. "I have nothing to live for anyway," she whispered to herself with a pained little smile.

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_AN: Thanks for reading! I had this amazing AU idea for this prompt, but I couldn't finish it in a oneshot, so here is the first chapter. Please let me know how you like it :) Until next time!_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Maiden and the Fox**

**Chapter 2**

**.**

After the assembly was concluded, Sakura was whisked into the Hokage tower and given a lavish suite, normally kept for visiting dignitaries. She was granted luxury in the last remaining hours of her life. Her father visited, only to tell her how proud he and her mother were of her noble sacrifice. Mother didn't even bother to come, not that Sakura expected her to. She'd become a family disappointment when she'd turned sixteen and instead of marrying a good boy with a nice, big stretch of fertile land, she took up medicine under Tsunade's tutelage. To make up for the parental indifference, her best friend Ino threw a big scene and had to be dragged out by the guards. Feeling emotionally drained after that, Sakura asked not to be disturbed until the dress fitting.

Sakura was staring out of the window into the darkened sky, the red glow on the horizon warning of the Fox, when someone knocked. She remained silent, her dry eyes glued to the outside view.

The door opened and closed with a little too much force. Then a hand grabbed her by the shoulder and she was forcibly turned around to look into the narrowed face of Uchiha Sasuke.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he hissed.

Sakura raised her eyebrows. He sounded genuinely angry with her and she couldn't understand why. If this had happened any time before his rejection, she'd have withered under his fearsome glare. Now she straightened her spine and met his gaze head on.

"Saving the village," she replied evenly, taking his hand off her shoulder. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Wrong? You're sacrificing your own life and you ask me what is wrong with it? Un-fucking-believable." He ran a hand through his hair and she couldn't help but think how attractive that looked. Sakura bit her lip and looked away.

Sasuke started pacing. She hadn't seen him this worked up since his brother's terminal illness had been diagnosed.

"What is the Hokage even thinking? This is so foolish. We should be planning to kill the Fox, not give in to his demands. How do we know he'll even keep to his word? What if he changes his mind and destroys the village anyway or demands more sacrifices?" Sasuke ranted. "You shouldn't have gotten involved with this insanity at all. You're supposed to be smarter than that," he said accusatorily.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, someone has to do something to save us all and it may as well be me," she replied, putting hands on her hips.

"But it doesn't have to be _you_," Sasuke argued mulishly. "We have fighters, we have the police force. Let us take care of the Fox." He pointed at the insignia stitched to his jacket. Sasuke's father was the Chief of the Police.

Sakura shook her head slowly. "That's impossible and you know it. Your father knows it. You can't kill a demon. If you try, you will only die and the village will be destroyed."

He pressed his lips together, fists clenched at his sides. He had no rebuke to the naked truth, but was still unable to accept it.

Sakura felt a pang in her chest.

"Why do you care anyway?" she asked, facing the window again. It was easier to look at the horizon rather than him. "You should be relieved. Your fiancée is going to be safe. Seiko, right?" Sakura risked a quick glance at him from under her eyelashes.

"My fiancée has nothing to do with any of this," he replied, his face suddenly made of granite.

"Good for her," Sakura said flippantly. "I just don't see why you're getting so bent out of shape over this. It's not like you have a reason to love me or anything."

Sasuke flinched back as if she physically struck him in the gut and she smirked in satisfaction. She finally got to throw his cruel words back into his face. She hurt him back and it felt good.

"Damn it, Sakura. You shouldn't die. You can't," he said roughly.

"Why?" She launched the question at him like a ninja needle, rapid, sharp and deadly when it hits the target.

He stared at her mutely, stark helplessness reflecting in his eyes. Her expression hardened.

"I thought so," she said cuttingly and turned to the window again. "If you don't have any real reason, then leave me alone. I want some peace and quiet on my last night alive."

She pretended indifference, but she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye, hyperaware of his every movement. She waited, counting seconds.

_One… two… three… four… five… Why isn't he leaving?_

He was just standing there, head bowed and face obscured from her view. The bunched up muscles in his shoulders and arms vibrated as if he was gripped by some sort of a great internal struggle.

Sakura frowned and kept counting. Why wasn't he leaving?

_… __Eighteen… nineteen… twenty…_

Sasuke sucked in a breath and looked up at her.

"Sakura… I… care about you. I don't want you to… I don't want to lose you."

"_Lose_ _me_?" She snorted in disbelief, whirling to face him. "You already did, heck, you made it abundantly clear that you _wanted_ me gone from your life! You didn't just lose me, you made me _get_ _lost_! And after that, I am supposed to believe that you _care_? That you want me to live? That's-that's ridiculous."

"It's the truth," he replied simply.

Sakura stared at him, wide-eyed, feeling bereft. Sasuke wouldn't lie like that. He wouldn't tell her a bald-faced lie just to play with her feelings. He wasn't like that.

"What about your fiancée?" she asked desperately.

"What about her?"

"You must surely care much more about her than me! She's the one you want to marry. So stop bothering me and go home. Be with her. Enjoy your happy life in safety from the Fox."

"Sakura," he said seriously and held up her chin to look her straight in the eye. "What I want and what I can have are two completely different things. And you have no idea what I really want."

The intensity of his onyx gaze made her throat dry. She licked her lips and didn't miss how his gaze flickered to them in interest.

"Then… try me," she whispered.

His smoldering eyes flashed at her challenge and in an instant, he pulled her hard against his chest and his mouth covered hers in her very first kiss. She blinked in surprise, her eyes fluttering shut as she was swept away by the pleasurable rush. At first, he took her lips impetuously, as if he was afraid she'd push him away and so wanted to get as much out of it as he could, then with a change in angle, he slowed down, kissing her deeply, passionately, and thoroughly. His big hand caressed her nape and a shiver went through her, a quiet moan coming from her throat as she kissed him back. A pleasant tingling warmed her low in her belly and she squirmed against his lean body.

Sasuke released her lips for a breath and, as they panted, she was pulled in by the dark heated look in his eyes, which she realized was desire. Sakura gulped.

Without warning, he kissed her again and she let him. His hands were no longer static, instead they roamed her back, shoulders, and arms eliciting more of that delicious tingling. She pressed even closer into him, chest to chest, feeling the thudding in his ribcage against her breast.

When he grabbed her under the bottom and lifted her up, Sakura broke the kiss with a startled yelp. Sasuke carried her swiftly across the suite and deposited her on the bed. She bounced on the mattress and looked up at him with confusion.

"Sasuke-kun, what are you…"

"Sakura," he interrupted her roughly and reached down to his belt, "you won't be sacrificed if you're no longer a virgin." She watched, transfixed as he unbuckled the belt with a snap. Then, when his meaning finally got through to her, she gasped. Her panicked gaze locked with his determined one.

"No, Sasuke-kun, you can't! I have to be the sacrifice to save the village!"

"Someone else can do that. I don't care as long as it's not you," he muttered dismissively as he kneeled on the bed. Sakura scrambled back. This was moving too fast. She wasn't ready…

"What about Seiko? What if they took her?" she blurted out to stall him. "Unless you already…"

A crease appeared between his eyebrows. "Stop bringing her into this," he snapped irately.

"Why? Because it reminds you that you have a fiancée and you shouldn't cheat on her?" Sakura shot back as she tucked her legs under her, kneeling on the bed. She could stand up whenever she wanted.

Sasuke growled with irritation. "Sakura, why are you so goddamn difficult? I'm trying to save your life!" he hissed as he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

Sakura looked him in the eye coldly. "Oh, is that right? Or maybe you just want to take advantage of a girl that's going to die tomorrow anyway? Yesterday you wouldn't even look at me."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he dived to steal another kiss, but she pushed him away.

"No. No more of this. I have more morals than that. I won't help you cheat," she said firmly and stood up. She walked off the bed and pointed to the door. "You should leave. Or I'll call the guards." Ironic that the men posted outside her suite for her "protection", which translated to keeping the village's sacrifice from running away at the last moment, would actually be useful to protect her. "Now," Sakura said sharply when he didn't move.

Wordlessly, Sasuke got off the bed and, redoing the belt's buckle, then stiffly walked towards the exit. Before he reached it, he looked back at her with desperation.

"Sakura, I realize I hurt you in the past but I'll do anything to prove myself to you. I'll fight the Fox for you if that's what it takes," he declared fervently, which both scared and angered her. If he thought a few words would get her to cave in, he had another thing coming.

Pale-faced, with arms crossed, Sakura shook her head at him. "Don't be foolish. I don't wish for your death. That would be a waste of my sacrifice. Besides," she sighed and hugged herself tighter, turning her face to the left, "there's nothing you can do to convince me. Please go now."

She stood her ground, meeting his gaze unflinchingly and she saw the exact moment the fight went out of his eyes. Sasuke looked down, then at her again. He clenched his fists and with an incline of his chin in farewell, he walked out. The door closed behind him quietly. Sakura stared at them for a moment, then pressed her forehead to smooth wooden surface.

"You already broke my heart," she whispered after him, knowing he wouldn't hear it.

She slid to her knees and wrapped herself in her arms, wracked with dry sobs. "Kami," she choked out and ran her hands through her hair from the front all the way to the back, as if in an attempt to put some order into the mess of her existence. Had she really done the right thing? Was Sasuke right after all and she had wasted her one chance to save her life out of the stupid pride? Should she have trusted him?

She didn't know. She didn't _know_.

Trembles took over her body and she bowed down in anguish. Tears she couldn't hold back anymore dropped onto her hands and floor under her. Then she curled up on the floor and cried until she ran out of all the tears.

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_AN: Thanks for reading! Please let me know how you liked the chapter :)_

_Until next time!_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Maiden and the Fox**

**Chapter 3**

**.**

Women who came in for the dress fitting found her there, insensate. They splashed cold water on her red face, then they made her stand up and proceeded with their task. Sakura remained apathetic, her body motionless like a doll while her thoughts drifted aimlessly far away from there. The wedding kimono was beautifully embroidered and definitely nothing she could normally afford, but she didn't care. What did it matter how pretty and expensive her dress was when she was going to wear it for her death sentence?

Sakura was so far removed from her surroundings that she didn't even notice when the women left. It was already dark outside the window, not counting the distant red glow from the monster waiting for his bride. Sakura wondered how many hours she had left to live. Her eyelids felt heavy with exhaustion, but she'd be damned if she slept through her remaining time.

From the looks of it, no one else was going to sleep that night. The whole village was in the frenzy, making preparations for the Fox's wedding.

"Your kimono is ready, Sakura-san," a quiet voice startled her out of her thoughts. Sakura looked at the woman, who was hanging up at the dress in the open closet, and gave a start.

"Hinata? What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.

"I volunteered to help prepare you for tomorrow. I was here before for the fitting," Hinata explained.

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't notice you," Sakura admitted contritely.

"It's all right. I could tell you were pretty preoccupied," Hinata said with an understanding smile. Then she bowed in half before Sakura. "I wanted to thank you. If not for you, I'd be in your place. So thank you for saving my life."

"No, please raise your head," Sakura asked, flustered. "I just couldn't stand seeing your father send you to your death like that. It wasn't right. You didn't even want to die."

Hinata's face stilled as she watched her with those milky, all-seeing eyes of the Hyuuga. "Sakura-san, did you?" she asked gently.

Sakura opened her mouth at first to deny, then pressed her lips together with a frown. She turned her head to the side. "Maybe," she said in a half-whisper. "It doesn't matter now. The decision was made."

Hinata nodded, letting go of the topic gracefully. "Indeed. I still owe you a debt, so I brought you a gift." She pulled a small dagger out of her obi and unsheathed it to show the sharp edge before sliding it back in place. "This is my mother's kaiken. May it serve you well." She held it out handle first to Sakura.

"Hinata, I-I can't take it! It's your mother's heirloom! Won't you get in trouble with your father if you give this to someone outside the clan?"

Hinata smiled serenely. "Don't worry. This kaiken belongs to me and I can give it to whoever I wish. You saved me, it's the least I could do to repay you. Please accept it."

Sakura looked at the dagger presented to her and hesitantly took it. "Thank you," she said sincerely, sliding her thumb along the smooth, unadorned sheath. The feel of it soothed her.

Hinata sighed. "My mother was very brave, you know? She even stood up to my father and the clan elders and made them listen. I thought if I kept her kaiken with me, it will lend me her courage… but it didn't. I couldn't speak up against my father today. You did. That's why her kaiken should be yours."

For a moment, Sakura was choked up, overwhelmed by emotion before she found her voice again.

"Hinata, no," she said, taking her slender hand in her own. "Don't beat yourself up like that. Believe me, I know just how hard it is to stand up to your own parents. It takes a lot… sometimes everything." She grew pensive as she looked into the distance, storm-eyed, before shaking it off. She gave Hinata a small smile. "I promise I will do my best to honour your mother's memory while I have her kaiken."

The girl looked at her with sadness. "You realize why I gave it to you, don't you? I don't want you to suffer. When the Fox… when the pain becomes unbearable... use it."

Sakura inhaled sharply, then nodded, understanding the implication. Truly, she'd been so overwhelmed by receiving such a valuable gift that she hadn't thought of what she was supposed to do with it, but Hinata was right. It would be most useful to end things as painlessly as possible. Sakura thumbed the smooth sheath one last time, then hid the dagger in her inner pocket.

"Thank you," she said in a rough voice. She valiantly tried to keep her tears at bay, but when Hinata enveloped her in a warm hug, the dam broke and Sakura freely sobbed into her new friend's shoulder.

Finally, she admitted to herself that she was terrified. Of the Fox, of dying, of leaving nothing behind to be remembered by. Crying didn't help, but at least it gave her a release and when she was done and relaxed with a shudder, she felt drained and empty.

And throughout all of her outburst, Hinata patiently held her, lending her that inner strength that Sakura needed to calm down and face her destiny head on.

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The moon was getting low in its journey across the night sky, when Sasuke hurriedly slipped out of his house with only one goal in mind.

"Sasuke-san, where are you going?"

The sudden voice rooted him to the spot. A slight young woman dressed in a white and red shrine maiden clothing stepped from behind a tree at the secondary exit of the Uchiha compound and blocked his way out. Long black hair framed her heart-shaped face set in a look of steely resolve. She would not budge until he answered.

"This doesn't concern you, Seiko," he finally replied. She bristled for a moment, then took a deeper breath, reaching a state of placidity with ease born from years of practice in her father's temple.

"You were in the Tower for a long time," she commented smoothly, crossing her arms. "Now you're sneaking out. I have a right to be concerned."

"Be concerned all you want, just don't stand in my way," Sasuke said and went around her, fed up with her stalling. He had a task to do.

Seiko deliberately stepped in front of him again and spread her hands. "Where are you going?" she asked again, but with a quiet intensity. Sasuke returned it with his glare, stubbornly refusing to respond. "Does it have something to do with the Haruno girl?" Seiko guessed.

Sasuke had a good poker face, but something must have shown, because her one elegant eyebrow shot up surprise. "Don't tell me…" she trailed off, eying his dark non-descript clothes, the short sword on his back and the bag he was carrying. In an instant she understood his intentions and her look turned grim. "I can't let you go," she said and tried to grab his arm. Sasuke evaded her grasp with ease.

"You can't stop me," he said with a glower.

"But I can," a voice came from behind. Sasuke whirled around to look at the newcomer, already knowing who it was.

"Itachi. You shouldn't be here," he said with a frown, taking in his elder brother's pale, sweaty face and labored breathing. Itachi was too ill. He shouldn't even get out of bed.

"Just like you shouldn't be here," Itachi rebuffed the remark calmly.

"I don't intend to stay. I have somewhere I need to go," Sasuke replied.

Itachi shook his head patiently. "It would be better if you didn't. I don't doubt your good intentions, but whatever you're planning won't work. You'll only put Sakura through more unnecessary pain."

"No. You're wrong." The denial spilled from Sasuke's lips without any conscious thought. He was only speaking what he felt with all of himself was correct and true. "Her death is unnecessary. I'm only doing what the police should be doing. To protect the lives of Konoha citizens, isn't that our oath?" Sasuke challenged with a hint of bitter irony on his lips.

"You would doom the entire village to save one girl? This is insane! We cannot let you do this!" Seiko burst out from behind him, however Sasuke didn't take his unblinking eyes off Itachi. Something was wrong. His brother should have realized a woman and an ill man wouldn't be able to stop him…

His instincts screamed at him to get out of there and Sasuke chose to follow them. He abruptly pivoted on his heel and rushed towards the tree line.

He heard Itachi sigh. "I hoped he wouldn't run." Then he let out a piercing whistle.

With a gentle rustle of leaves, a mass of shadows separated from the trees and surrounded Sasuke. He recognized Shisui, one of his cousins, as well as three other Uchiha members of the police. With his window of opportunity closing, he desperately rushed forward, hoping to surprise them and break through their ranks.

It almost worked—he managed to hit the one in front of him in the solar plexus, but the small delay gave the others enough time to reach him. Sasuke fought back, but they had superior numbers and quickly seized him. Soon, he was forced to his knees, with arms viciously pulled behind his back.

"Now what? You're going to arrest me? On what grounds?" he spat out furiously as Itachi approached. His brother let out a heavy sigh.

"I wish it didn't come to this, but yes. You're arrested on disciplinary charges. You'll stay in a cell in the station until you cool your heels or at least until the ceremony is over. Father will decide," Itachi decreed. Sasuke had no doubt that is what would happen—his brother had been a squad captain for years before the illness had struck. None of the other Uchihas present would go against his orders.

Sasuke's shoulders slumped as he was overcome by the sense of defeat. _Is it really over? Just like that? _he thought in disbelief, but he couldn't deny the merciless truth staring him in the face. It was all over. His plans were found out and he was caught before he could do anything. Now he really had no chance to rescue Sakura. A spark of anger fired up in his chest, caused by this treachery from the one person he always trusted to be on his side.

"Why?" Sasuke ground out, glaring at Itachi in contempt.

Itachi gave him a tired, sad look. "Because I don't want to lose you for nothing, little brother. It's my duty to protect you, even from yourself."

Never before had Sasuke actually wanted to strike his brother so badly. Then Itachi wobbled dangerously on his feet and all the rage fled from Sasuke's mind as he jolted up to go to his brother's side by pure instinct, but was held firmly in place by his captors. Itachi took a moment of deep breathing to steady himself once again.

"Sasuke," he said softly when the dizziness passed. "I know you must hate me now, but you'll see that this is for the better. For you and for the village."

"Don't," Sasuke gritted out. "Don't justify this crap to me." Itachi blinked and opened his mouth, but Sasuke was done listening to him. "Just shut up and go home already," he ordered, then looked away, the conversation over on his part.

Itachi inhaled, like he was going to speak up again, then changed his mind and only nodded. Seiko came to his side and put his arm over her shoulder. Sasuke ignored them as they departed together in the direction of the Uchiha house.

Maybe Itachi was right, as usual, and it really was better for the village as a whole, but never for him, not when Sakura was the one to pay the price with her life. Sasuke would never accept it.

However, he was now powerless to change it and that was all he could think about when Shisui and the other three officers escorted him to the police station, currently deserted, and locked him up in the secure cell upstairs. He even had a small window and he could see some of the sky from behind the bars and count the time until the sunrise. It wouldn't be long.

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Sakura, clad in a white wedding kimono, looked out of her window in search of serenity. The red glow from the Fox didn't diminish, but the dark night sky was gradually becoming lighter with every minute. She knew what it meant all too well.

Hinata put a hand on her shoulder. "It's time, Sakura-san," she said sympathetically.

Sakura's stoic expression didn't change as she turned away from the window for the last time. With the same calmness she allowed herself to be led outside of the safety of the Hokage Tower and towards the awaiting jaws of her destiny.

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_AN: Thanks for reading! Please let me know how you liked the chapter ;) Next time: The Wedding!_


	4. Chapter 4

**The Maiden and the Fox**

**Chapter 4**

**.**

At the bottom of the front steps to the Hokage Tower, a ceremonial palanquin stood prepared for Sakura. Crafted from expensive dark wood, gold-incrusted and bedecked with rich fabrics, colourful silk ribbons and fresh flowers, it made for a beautiful vessel for any blushing bride on a way to her wedding. However, for a sacrificial maiden heading to her own death sentence disguised under marriage vows, it looked too ostentatious, if morbidly suitable.

_Theatrics, _Sakura thought, wrinkling her nose in disgust, but she took a seat in the litter without a comment. The heavy air of resignation hung around her as she accepted the part she was to play in this farce. The bearers smoothly lifted the palanquin onto their shoulders and set off with a trained, synchronized gait.

The wedding procession, consisting of the palanquin, guards surrounding it and female attendants carrying lanterns, traveled through the quiet streets of Konoha. Despite the early hour, the village was already wide awake. With the Fox's unsettling presence so close nearby, it had been a sleepless night for everyone in Konoha. Many pairs of eyes, scared, tired, relieved, indifferent, and the worst of them—eyes that pitied her—followed Sakura as the palanquin passed them by, but none of them were the familiar dark shade of a moonless night, the eyes that she could stare into for all eternity. None of them belonged to Uchiha Sasuke.

Some villagers joined the procession and steadily it grew until it became a veritable crowd when it reached the shrine hill. The palanquin was gently lowered before the steps leading to the shrine itself.

One of the guards helped Sakura to her feet. She left the litter and looked up the high stairs that stood before her dauntingly. Her face became truly colourless under the thick white pain when she noticed the crimson, malevolent aura over the summit. She clenched her fists under the long sleeves, nails biting sharply into her skin, then she began the climb.

Under normal circumstances, Sakura was not an often visitor to the shrine. She only went when it was customary, but she'd never had so much difficulty going up these stairs. The heavy, multi-layered kimono dragged her down and her head was itching under the traditional head cover. When she was distracted by the itch, the bulky material tangled around her feet and, in one unlucky instant, she stepped onto the hem and lost her balance.

Sakura gasped, certain that she was going to fall and crack her skull at the bottom of the stairs, then someone behind her caught her waist and steadied her. She craned her head frantically to find Hinata securing her back.

"Thank you," Sakura whispered, at once embarrassed and glad for the girl's assistance.

Hinata nodded solemnly and looked up at the sky. "Let's keep going. The dawn is nigh."

With Hinata's support Sakura was climbing much faster, but she couldn't help but resent and dread what this meant for her. Near the top, the Fox's presence was even more palpable, causing her skin to break out into goosebumps.

"It's the last ten steps. You need to go up there alone, Sakura-san," Hinata instructed lowly.

Sakura regarded the short distance, then closed her eyes and nodded. Hinata took her hand into a warm grip. "You can do it. Good luck," she said and briefly squeezed Sakura's knuckles before letting go.

Leaving behind her silent entourage, Sakura walked up the rest of the way completely alone, one step at a time. And in the exact same moment she reached the tori gate at the top of the stairs, the first sliver of the sun peeked above the horizon and fell upon her white-shrouded silhouette, painting her in gold hues before the eyes of the masses down below. The dawn had arrived.

Sakura cast one last look behind, her green eyes searching for a man in the crowd. When she didn't find him, it was as if shutters closed over her face. She turned back to the shrine and the foreboding aura inside of it. Then she steeled her spine and marched forward.

A shrine maiden came out to meet her halfway. A wave of disbelief slammed into Sakura and almost knocked her over when she recognized the woman as Sasuke's fiancée. On the second thought, she should have expected her to be here, the woman's identity wasn't exactly a state secret. Her name and occupation had been all over the gossip for months since the engagement.

The pretty brunette—Seiko, Sakura recalled the woman's name—jogged the last few meters to her side. "Are you okay? Do you need help?" she asked, reaching out to steady her. Sakura evaded her gesture and brushed herself down, wrestling her churning emotions under control as she faced the last person she wanted to see on this nightmarish morning.

"I'm fine," she snapped and immediately winced at her sharp tone. "Sorry, it's just… nerves."

Seiko nodded. "Understandable." She took a breath, like she was going to say something, but then thought better of it.

"What is it?" Sakura asked warily, put on edge by the odd look the woman gave her.

Seiko slowly shook her head. "Nothing. It's just… Did you know you're wearing my wedding kimono?"

_…__What?_

She took Sakura's gaping silence as a prompt to continue. "It was almost ready, so I told the dressmaker she could use it for you. There wasn't enough time for her to tailor a new one. I'm glad it fits you, though you're a bit shorter than me," she commented, glancing over Sakura critically.

"I… see," Sakura said flatly when she found her voice again. She'd suspected that the kimono had to be borrowed, but to learn that it belonged to the woman who in the few short days was going to marry Sasuke felt like a slap in the face.

Seiko gave her a sad smile and tentatively put a hand on her upper arm. "Sakura-san, I just want you to know that I'm very grateful for what you're doing for us. I can't imagine what it's like. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart," she said with a low bow.

Bitterness spilled over Sakura's palate and overfilled her tightly closed mouth and she had to bite her tongue to keep certain choice words from bursting forward. _Of course you can't imagine what it's like. You're the one marrying the love of my life while I marry a monster. But sure, it's all fine and dandy because you're grateful. _Instead, she pasted on a fake smile which uncomfortably stretched her bloodless lips. "You're welcome," she managed to get out of her clenched throat.

Seiko looked at her, startled by such a response, brows knitted as she tried to make sense of it. Sakura herself held back a hysterical laughter at the absurdity of this conversation. Here she was, laying down her life for this woman along the rest of the village and they sounded as if they bumped into each other in a grocery store. She could picture it in her head. _Oh my, there's only one sweet bread roll left and we both love them. Please, you can have it, Seiko-san. Let me pay for you. Even better, why don't you just take all my money? I won't be needing it, anyway. In fact, take Sasuke-kun too, while you're at it. Thank you, Sakura-san, I'm so grateful. You're welcome._

The shrine maiden cleared her throat, ending the awkward moment, and nodded towards the shrine. "Everything's ready for the ceremony. Shall we?" she asked in a businesslike manner. She was much more preferable that way.

Sakura swallowed through her rising apprehension. She didn't trust her voice not to shake, so she nodded wordlessly and proceeded forward.

_Let it end quickly, _she prayed in the privacy of her thoughts.

Seiko escorted her to the main door, sticking close at her side. Sakura figured that the shrine maiden was probably ensuring that she wouldn't change her mind at the last second and attempt to bolt. Frankly, she was rankled by the constant suspicion aimed at her. She had volunteered, so why couldn't they all just believe in her? With a bitter scowl on her lips, she entered the shrine.

Sakura stopped in the shadowed entryway and gagged. A strange, nauseating combination of smells assaulted her nostrils and made her eyes water. The strong scent of incense clashed with a pungent, animal-like stench that didn't belong in there. It was a smell of something _unholy_.

The shrine maiden gently pushed Sakura towards the main hall and the small gathering before the altar. The oppressive aura she had felt on the stairs was much thicker inside and slammed into her chest with the strength of a sledgehammer, taking her breath away.

"Ah, my bride. Come closer," a deep, sinister voice spoke, echoing through the shrine eerily. She heard in it the sound of gravel hitting the lid of a coffin; the roar of fire burning a family alive inside their house; the howl of a wild beast hungering for human flesh at midnight.

A full-body shudder came over her in a momentary burst of hair-raising terror before the crushing despair settled in. There was no way out, only forward. Going against her every instinct, Sakura approached in a trance, her wide eyes glued to the inhuman figure against the backdrop of the candle-lit altar.

The Demon Fox was enormous, taller than any human could ever be. It was sitting on its haunches like a beast and she still didn't reach its shoulders. Instead of wearing clothes, a fiery red coat covered its body. The Fox had two arms and two legs, opposite thumbs and a deceptively human-like musculature, but the proportions were slightly off, the limbs too long, the torso too stretched. It looked utterly unnatural. Only the nine swishing tails, majestically arranged behind it, didn't look out of place.

Disturbed, Sakura averted her gaze. She felt ill just from looking at the foul creature. She glanced at its crotch, trying to determine if the Fox was indeed a male, but the thick fur covered everything. Not that it mattered anyway, as she was going to be eaten by the monster soon.

"Let me see your face." A long, razor-sharp claw hooked under her chin, lifting it up. Sakura's whole body became locked in place as her terrified green eyes met the creature's amused red gaze. The Fox sized her up like a big, juicy piece of steak, as if it—he, she decided it was a "he" after all—was debating whether to wait for after the wedding or gobble her up right now.

The Fox snorted and retracted the claw. "Pretty. She will do," he said to someone among the few guests of the ceremony. She realized that it was the Hokage.

Outside of the demon's immediate focus, Sakura could beat back her terror and think again. She curiously swept her gaze around and something heavy dropped in her stomach. Aside from the Hokage and the few shrine workers necessary for the ceremony, the only people present were her parents. They both looked pale and stiff and they absolutely refused to look at her.

There was not a single friendly face around. No hope for the last minute rescue.

While Sakura marveled at herself for still harbouring something as foolish as _hope_, the flutes began to play, signaling the start of the ceremony. Other instruments joined in to play the traditional wedding music and she was ushered by Seiko to take place by the monster's side. The head priest, Seiko's own father, called on the names of the gods for their blessing. If the gods were real, they clearly weren't watching.

Sakura passed the ceremony in a bubble of numbness and dull fear. She took the sake cups Seiko handed to her and drank mechanically. She stood by as the Fox mockingly read out the marriage vows "to protect and cherish her until death". The shrine maiden had to nudge her in the back and whisper the words so that Sakura would give her assent in the right place. Everything seemed so surreal to her, like she was trapped in a never-ending nightmare she couldn't wake up from.

Even with the official rites out of the way, her torment continued. She was taken to a reception hall and whisked off to change into a white kimono with a pink flower pattern. Then she was made to attend the stilted celebration that appropriately felt more like a wake. Her stomach rolled with disgust as she had to listen to the sweating guests nervously mutter their fake congratulations on her marriage, all the while giving fearful glances to the Fox. The beast only grinned at them and licked his chops.

Sakura raised her head hopefully when she heard the familiar sound of heels clicking on the floor. She would recognize these footsteps anywhere. They belonged to someone she had longed to see one last time.

"Shishou," she greeted the village's formidable doctor and her own mentor, fighting back the tears of relief as she drank in her sight

"Nine-Tailed Demon Fox," Tsunade briskly acknowledged the monster, showing no fear, then rounded up on her. "Sakura, you stupid girl. What have you gotten yourself into?"

Sakura flinched, wilting on the inside. Earning her master's disapproval always hurt and made her ashamed of herself, but this time was different. Tsunade's fighting spirit sparked her own back to life.

"Someone had to do it and you know it," she replied defiantly.

Tsunade's sharp glare softened and she drew Sakura into a hug. "You stupid, stupid, brave girl," she murmured into Sakura's pink hair, stroking her back. "What did I teach you? Do you remember?"

"Shishou?" Sakura's brow furrowed at the odd insistence in the question. Tsunade was perfectly aware of her excellent memory. It was an invaluable tool during her medical studies.

Tsunade pulled back and swiftly wiped at her eyes, which were still a little shiny. "Never mind," she said with a headshake. "I'll miss you. I've never told you but… you are like a daughter to me," she told her softly.

Sakura gasped, hot tears stinging her eyes. "And you are like a mother to me," she replied.

The nature of their bond was never something they had discussed, comfortable in their roles as teacher and student, but it had always gone beyond just that. Ever since Sakura's estrangement from her parents, Tsunade took her under her wings. She might have been demanding, sharp-tongued and irritable, but beneath all that was a genuine care and affection. In her youth Tsunade had lost her loved ones to an epidemic and instead dedicated her life to medicine, so it was hard for her to admit any feelings out loud. Only now, before Sakura's inevitable death, Tsunade opened up to her.

"How touching. But if you keep it up, wife, I'm going to get hungry," the Fox interrupted, speaking to Sakura for the first time since her arrival at the shrine. "I wonder what kind of a delightful face this woman would make if I rip you to shreds and devour before her eyes? What will her screams and crying sound like?"

A wave of horror chilled Sakura to the bone and she abruptly jerked away from him. The Fox growled, baring his fangs at her like an animal on a hunt. Tsunade stepped in front of him without hesitation.

"No doubt you would find my pain and grief amusing, demon, but I came here for another reason. I brought you a wedding gift."

"A gift? I don't have a need for any of your human trinkets," the Fox scoffed.

"You will like this one." Tsunade raised her hand and a waiter came up with a bottle of sake on a tray. Tsunade poured a drink into a cup and offered it to the demon. "Enjoy."

The red, inhuman gaze pierced into her, unblinking. "Hmph." The Fox took the cup between his claws gently and poured the sake into his maw. He hummed, tasting the liquid, and swallowed it with a squelch. Then he became very still.

For one insane moment Sakura dared to think that this was it, her shishou killed the Fox. _Please, make him die! Please, make him keel over and die! _she prayed to the gods fervently.

Then the Fox erupted into a deep, rumbling laughter. "Foolish woman doctor, you realize you can't kill a demon with a mere poison?"

"Has anyone ever tested it?" Tsunade retorted drily. "But no, I didn't give you any other poison than alcohol itself."

The Fox leaned down so suddenly that Sakura flinched, convinced that he was going to chomp off Tsunade's head. Instead, he sniffed around her as she stayed perfectly still.

"Very well, I smell no lies on you. Pour me more of your sake, amusing woman," he commanded.

Soon, the Fox drank the entire bottle, then belched mightily. The smell of sulphur fouled the air around them.

"I should kill you for bringing just these few meagre drops," he drawled, lazily flicking his tails.

Tsunade shook her head. "This was just a sample. My gift to you is twelve large barrels of this sake. I left them outside."

The demon chuckled. "Smart move, woman. You may leave with your life intact."

Tsunade sent Sakura one last look and wisely retreated into the crowd of anxious-looking guests. The "well-wishing" part of reception was winding down and they were uncertain what would happen next. No one quite imagined that the Fox would cut the wedding cake for them.

A blood-curdling current of evil miasma flooded the hall, cutting the mutters as people's throats closed up in a primal fear. They could only stare at the Fox like rabbits cornered in their nest by a large predator.

"Villagers of Konoha," the demon spoke, "you have bought your peace from me. Every night before you go to sleep, you should all think of this girl's agony as I will rip her to shreds, drink her blood and crack her bones to suck out the marrow. This is the price for your pathetic, cowardly lives!" The Fox let them comprehend the enormity of what they had allowed to happen, then burst into a mocking laughter at their guilt-stricken expressions. "Humans are such degenerate creatures. You sell out one of your own to save your skins, then feel bad afterwards! So hilarious! Especially you, Minato!" he pointed a claw at the sickly pale Hokage. "Even I didn't expect you'd give up on fighting me so quickly! She would be disappointed in you."

The Hokage staggered back as if struck by a powerful blow. "No…" he whispered.

"You're wrong, Nine-Tails," Sakura cut in, bold and defiant. "They didn't make me do this. I volunteered to save everyone."

The Fox chortled. "You think this makes any difference? If they were actually good people, they wouldn't ask you to sacrifice yourself for them. I may eat your body, but their souls shall be tortured and devoured by my brethren in hell! The only one you saved is yourself, naïve girl!"

The demon laughed cruelly, basking in the devastation he brought to the humans, then wrapped a tail around reeling Sakura and lifted her up. Still laughing, he bounded outside the reception hall, grabbed the sake barrels with his other tails and streaked out of the village, heading north to disappear into the deep woods.

Inside the hall, the Hokage fell onto his knees. "What have I done?" he asked in horror. "Forgive me, Kushina…" And he put his face in his hands and wept.

.

Sasuke looked at the strip of the sky visible in the narrow window of his cell. He was shackled to the cot he sat on. When the reddish hue faded away from the normal blue and the terrifying pressure in the air lessened and disappeared from the village completely, he bowed his back low, hair falling into his eyes.

"Sakura…" he rasped out in a deadened voice. She was gone.

.

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_AN: Thank you all for your patience! I had a terrible writer's block but I was finally able to write again and continue this story. I finally got to describe the title of the prompt for this fic - Fox's Wedding. Please, let me know what you think about this chapter ;)_

_Until next time!_


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